Book One: The Sparrow
1.14.2009
The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell
My first book for 2009 turns out to be a re-read. I recommended this book for my book club because it's one of my favorites and it makes for interesting discussion. All this talk about God and faith and religion and human (plus human-alien) relationships wrapped up in what appears on the surface to be strictly a sci-fi book. Though, as one book club member pointed out, that observation sounds like a huge kick-in-the-kidneys to sci-fi, and as someone who has never read sci-fi I'm not really one to judge, no? But what I really mean by that is that just because you don't read sci-fi doesn't mean that you won't love this book. (Do three negatives equal a positive or another negative?)
My confession to you: I think I may be obsessed with God. Just the idea of God. And why it is so common to believe in God. Who are these people and what makes them tick? That's why I love the Mormons. I mean, on top of believing in personal revelations and some angel named Moroni, they also believe in God? Who are they kidding?! How does one get to this point? I think that The Sparrow does an interesting job of broaching these questions. And didja know that there's a sequel? Or that Brad Pitt owns the movie rights? My hot tip: go buy and read this now before all the books on the shelves are either stamped with a giant "In Theaters Now!" sticker or, worse, have a movie poster shot of Brad Pitt decked out as a diminutive Puerto Rican Jesuit with a conquistador beard gazing into the double-irised eyes of an alien. I kid you not.
My first book for 2009 turns out to be a re-read. I recommended this book for my book club because it's one of my favorites and it makes for interesting discussion. All this talk about God and faith and religion and human (plus human-alien) relationships wrapped up in what appears on the surface to be strictly a sci-fi book. Though, as one book club member pointed out, that observation sounds like a huge kick-in-the-kidneys to sci-fi, and as someone who has never read sci-fi I'm not really one to judge, no? But what I really mean by that is that just because you don't read sci-fi doesn't mean that you won't love this book. (Do three negatives equal a positive or another negative?)
My confession to you: I think I may be obsessed with God. Just the idea of God. And why it is so common to believe in God. Who are these people and what makes them tick? That's why I love the Mormons. I mean, on top of believing in personal revelations and some angel named Moroni, they also believe in God? Who are they kidding?! How does one get to this point? I think that The Sparrow does an interesting job of broaching these questions. And didja know that there's a sequel? Or that Brad Pitt owns the movie rights? My hot tip: go buy and read this now before all the books on the shelves are either stamped with a giant "In Theaters Now!" sticker or, worse, have a movie poster shot of Brad Pitt decked out as a diminutive Puerto Rican Jesuit with a conquistador beard gazing into the double-irised eyes of an alien. I kid you not.
posted by arajane at
10:35 PM
2 Comments:
I'm really glad you're doing this again for 2009! I am confused by God - why I am missing the apparently common brainspace to accept the idea and who the fault lies with - me or the rest of the world.
I, too, am happy to see you continue your 52 book project this year. Yay! Also, I think that many things that pertain to God & religion (any type of religion) can be confusing. Some of my relatives are Catholic, however it seems to be a recessive trait, as the faith gene completely skipped over me.
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